Modern Essentials for Creators on Their Way to 6 Figures

If being a creator or 6-figure online business owner is your goal then you’ll need help. A guy I know wants to build an email list and publish a book.

He refuses to spend a dollar, so he’s using a 15-year old laptop with snail speed internet and an office chair he found on the curb that’s given him back problems.

…You can’t win like this. I’ve built a 7 figure creator career and know a thing or two about how to succeed.

These are the modern essentials you need to win and make a career out of it (only for serious people).

A virtual assistant

Solopreneurship is great.

Except most solopreneurs are lying. They have help from a Virtual Assistant. The good thing is they’re a gun for hire. You can use them as much or as little as you like. I recommend trying one for 5 hours a month to see if it saves you time.

If you try to do everything online, you end up doing nothing. Get help.

Stand-up desk

I had one of those rusty old Ikea stand-up desks.

The damn thing was so clunky I never used it in stand-up mode. So my back started to fail again and I learned once again how important ergonomics is. I recently bought a new desk.

It goes up fast, remembers heights, is big, and looks cool. Invest in a good desk if you want to become the best.

Great s3x, great sleep, great diet, great exercise

A creator is limited by their energy. Do these things to increase energy and attract other high-energy people to your work.

Software for systems

The best creators have a content operating system.

And if they have an online business it’s all systemized. Great creators also take lots of notes and have an app to do so.

For all of these tasks I now use Notion. It’s cheap, easy, and you’re able to share the database with your audience or freelancers, like a virtual assistant.

Community software

The future of business isn’t products or services.

No. It’s communities. Communities help spawn ideas and support a creator’s career. This means from day one you need community software. I use Slack but other apps like Discord and Circle work too.

Logitech upright mouse

2 years ago my wrists died.

I couldn’t write and it hurt like hell. Turned out I had some mild version of carpel tunnel. A Logitech upright mouse saved my wrists. The one I use is Logitech Lift.

The brilliance is you hold the mouse the same way you shake someone’s hand, so it’s a more natural grip.

Proper mic and soundcard

There’s nothing worse than a Zoom call or webinar with someone who has sh*t, echoey sound. It ruins the experience and this is the setup most people have. Even 7-figure creators lol.

I strongly recommend you upgrade your sound.

Get a good microphone. I use a Shure SM7B with an Apollo Solo soundcard. For most people a Shure MV7 USD microphone is good enough. Just depends on how pro you want to go. I’m a qualified sound engineer which means I’m a hifi wanker.

Don’t forget to get a good mic arm too. I use the standard Rode one you see all over the internet. It’s the easiest to use and lets you swing a microphone in and out as needed.

A decent webcam

I’ll give you a shortcut. All the pros, like Tim Ferriss, use the Logitech Brio. It’s 4K, cheap, and requires no setup.

If you look blurry on screen then you don’t look as trustworthy. Good quality video screams “professional!”

Professional creators get paid more.

Screenshare software

The business models for creators are changing.

1–1 coaching is being replaced with async feedback. To coach a person via one-way video — and not be stuck on a 2-hour call with them that should have been 5 minutes — you need screenshare software.

I use Loom. Cheap, easy, and non-technical dummies like me can figure it out. I even use it to record online courses.

Fast internet

Get the fastest internet possible. If you’re going to spend a lot of time online, you want to save time by having websites and apps load faster.

Time equals money.

Email software

Every creator needs email software to talk to the audience they’ve built.

I use ConvertKit because it has visual automation, easy segmentation, tagging, and its famous “Creator Network” to grow my email list on auto-pilot without social media.

Build the list, email the list, make 6 figures.

Newsletter software

This one is an optional extra.

As well as sending emails you may also want to sell a newsletter product, which is different to just sending emails.

The trick to newsletter software isn’t a great editor or a cheap subscription fee. It’s an automated way to leverage someone’s network to grow your audience. For this reason I use $ubstack. They give me readers for free.

A proper computer

I’m an Apple groupie. I use a Mac Mini for desktop and a Macbook Air when traveling. The key is to buy the lowest models of each. All the upgrades they upsell you aren’t needed for most creators.

Two social apps to publish on

I mostly use X and LinkedIn.

Decent wireless headphones

This is a must and I have the Sony 10000XM4 … but I hardly ever use them. Why? I have a hearing condition called tinnitus. Wearing headphones for too long at high volumes is what caused it.

So I now have to limit headphone usage at all costs. The only time I use them is when I’m recording a masterclass and need to limit the spill of sound from my speakers entering the microphone.

Look after your hearing.

Accounting software

Taxes are a pain in the butt.

Don’t sit there at tax time counting $5 coffee receipts like a schmuck. Instead use accounting software. I use Xero. The UI is prehistoric but it gets the job done and saves me in accounting fees.

Cloud storage and email

I store everything in the cloud, and I love Gmail. Google Workspace has everything — Sheets, Docs, Gmail, Drive — and it’s the cheapest option there is and it just works.

Once again, no learning curve. A blind monkey who’s just drunk ten tequila shots can figure it out. Nice.

Lighting package

A face hiding in the shadows looks creepy. Good lighting makes your video content shine. This is nothing new. I use two Elgato key lights.

I figured if they’re good enough for the best gamers in the world who play Fortnite for 30 hours straight on coke, they’re good enough for me. Step out of the darkness and into the light.

A kickass background

Your background says a lot about you.

I have a standard Ikea bookshelf behind me where I display an Ethereum hologram, Delorean from the Back To The Future Movie, some pot plants, and a salt lamp. It tells people a little bit about me and that builds rapport.

I also light my background with bright colors. Makes it look cool. To do this I use an Elgato lightstrip and four Phillips Hue lights.

An employee-as-code

I have a digital employee named Zapier. It’s a piece of software that automates a lot of tasks so I don’t have to pay someone to do them.

Use automation from day one of your creator career.